Latest news with #Jane
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Tackling the rogue roofing gang conning Cornwall homeowners
Homeowners in Cornwall are being warned about a gang of "rogue roofers" who try to con people out of Standards staff, who were joined by the BBC as they carried out their investigations, said the evidence showed the gang turn up to do small jobs and then tell victims their roof is unsafe and talk them into having the roof replaced, but the work is often poor victim who was conned out of £25,000 said she felt "embarrassed and ashamed" she fell for the Standards urged people to use reputable local companies and always get a proper written quote. 'I feel embarrassed' Jane - not her real name - had a leak in the roof of her mid-Cornwall home and posted the job on a handyman said: "First they quoted me £1,300 to fix the roof and tidy up the ridge tiles but when they turned up a couple of days later, they told me the tiles were all rotten and it would cost £15,000."Later she said the workers told her the rafters in her roof were all rotten and the job would now cost £25, paid the money and the job was done, but the work was of such low quality it is still leaking, and she has been told by a reputable roofing firm it will cost another £15,000 to do it properly."I feel embarrassed and ashamed that I fell for it but they were in my face and put me under so much pressure," she said."I do feel pretty stupid." Trading Standards officers have been supporting her with a follow-up visit, helping with documentation as she tries to claim money back from her Emil Gabriel, who is working on attachment with Trading Standards, said: "It's very frustrating that these people are so persuasive and so forceful, we like to give the victims as much support as we can."Most legitimate traders are busy and haven't got time to knock on people's doors so if someone does come, just say no."If they persist, then just close your door and call 999." The next visit for the team is a bungalow in Redruth where a man who had a small job completed on his roof is now being bombarded with calls, insisting more work needs to be Standards officer Matt Rawson has come to talk to him to prevent him from being ripped Rawson said: "Initially he needed four tiles replacing and they said they'd do it for just £25 per tile."But now they've upped the ante, saying his rafters are rotten and they're bombarding him with calls, telling him he has to honour the contract he signed. "Thankfully he has got in touch with us so we'll be taking the numbers he's been given and maybe we can take this further and move towards prosecution." According to Trading Standards guidance, home owners should check whether the firm has been vetted on Cornwall Council's Standards officers said many rogue traders were now using online directory services or social media and have moved away from "traditional" cold-calling on the advised people to get a quote which has details including what work was needed, the cost of materials and the timeframe for the agreeing works over the phone or at home have the legal right to cancel the contract within 14 days of the agreement, they added.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
CM Punk Reveals When He Knew He ‘Made It' In WWE
One of the top stars in WWE is the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk. He has been a part of the professional wrestling business for almost three decades. Recently, the Second City Saint revealed the moment when he knew that he had made it in WWE. CM Punk was a guest on the Unsportsmanlike podcast. During the interview, the Best in the World revealed the moment he knew that he had made it in WWE. He named one of the makeup women in WWE, Jane, who yelled at him back in 2005 when he came into WWE for a dark match. But six years later, when Punk was one of the hottest products in WWE, Jane came up to him and asked why he never came up and spoke to her. That was the moment when he knew that he made it in WWE. 'There used to be one makeup lady (in WWE). Her name was Jane. Not the nicest lady in the world. This is how I knew I made it. My first time, I was under contract in Ohio Valley Wrestling, and I was brought up to do a dark match. I found the spray bottle that was in the makeup case and I was wetting my hair, I hear, down the hallway, all these expletives, like a sailor was yelling at me. I turn around and it was Jane. ''What do you think you're doing? That is for talent. Put it down.' I was like, 'Okay.' Quietly tiptoe away. That was 2005. In 2011, CM Punk became the hottest superstar in the business and Jane walks up to me one day and goes, 'How come you never come see me? You know I can cut your hair, right?' I was like, 'I made it. I'm a top guy now,'' CM Punk said. [H/T post CM Punk Reveals When He Knew He 'Made It' In WWE appeared first on Wrestlezone.
ITV News
15 hours ago
- General
- ITV News
Families struggling to 'cope' with reduced holiday club sessions for kids with complex needs
The father of a neurodiverse child in Jersey says he does not know how other parents will cope if the island's only holiday club for children with additional needs cannot run more often. Local charity Centrepoint currently offers sessions across all 14 weeks of the school holidays but only receives funding from the Government for half of that time, which it says has left it operating at a "massive loss". The group's Chief Executive Officer, Jane Moy, told ITV News that they are only able to offer space for 30 children at a time, despite 98 families applying. For James Barrett and his son Teddy, being able to access the sessions is "completely vital". James explains he needs certainty over whether Centrepoint can take Teddy throughout the holidays to help provide his son with the sense of routine he needs to be happy and build relationships with his peers. However, with the limited capacity, he sometimes does not know until a few days before the sessions take place, which James says causes significant stress. Speaking about the challenges he and other parents would face if their children could not attend the holiday club sessions, James explained: "If they are not worn out, they will be up all night and that then catches up with all of us. "If it wasn't for this, I don't know how any of the parents would cope, survive and be able to hold down a job because we don't have 25 days' holiday ourselves. "Not knowing in advance is the biggest stress but there are lots of parents I know who don't always get all those days and it's then about finding the extra days out of your own holiday." Seeking to address concerns, Jane said: "We try and prioritise where we can. We know some families don't have any support on the island, for example, and the parents work full-time. "Even parents who don't work full-time still need support for those children because as much as they love them, it's hard work looking after a child with complex needs." However, Jane admitted that without more government support, it is "really difficult to allocate sessions fairly and equally". She added that Centrepoint had previously been well-supported by Government but believes it has recently been "thrown on the backburner". Jane wants the Government to set out exactly how many sessions they will subsidise so the charity does not have to scramble to find enough staff at short notice, something Jane says is an "enormous amount of pressure". In response, the Government said that this summer, 120 children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities are being supported through the short breaks holiday scheme and that demand has always outstripped capacity. The Government added that while Centrepoint is the only holiday club specifically accommodating children with additional needs, many others are inclusive and can take some of those children.
CBS News
18 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Chicago woman says rotting berries from neighbor's tree are feeding rat problems in Lincoln Square
A woman from Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood said a giant tree's sweet berries are causing a sour situation, feeding into the neighborhood's rat problem, and no one will listen to her concerns. "That's why I chose to contact Channel 2 News," she said. "I need someone to listen to me." Jane, who did not want to share her last name, never fancied herself a farmer. But for the last 28 summers, she has gotten quite the haul of rotten berries landing in her backyard. CBS News Chicago met Jane as she was scooping rotten berries out of nets hanging between garages on her property and collecting them in plastic bags. The daily harvests add up. "Since I've been gathering them and weighing them, since June 14, I'm over 215 pounds of berries, just this year" Jane said. The nets don't catch all the berries; even more are piled up on the ground and nearby garages. They are not edible for humans. "You can't use these for cooking. You can't use these for donating to anybody," Jane said. Instead, the berries make a delicious meal for pigeons, bees, fruit flies and, most frustratingly, rats. Jane has taken plenty of pictures of the rats the berries attract. One mother rat was spotted carrying her baby as she stopped for a snack earlier this month. Jane says the berries are creating an unsanitary, slippery and smelly situation. "There is rat feces everywhere," Jane said. The berries fall for about six weeks straight, and end up rolling around in the nets and on the ground. Jane can't control the decaying fruit because it is not coming from her yard. It is coming from a gigantic mulberry tree on her neighbor's property. The tree in question is so big that some of its branches are held up with metal. "If we get a sudden downburst, that chain's not going to hold anything," Jane said. Jane shared her concerns with 47th Ward Ald. Matt Martin, but was told the city can't do much because the tree is on privately owned land. "It is your right to take down the branches that encroach on your property line, but I know you mentioned the problem is with the entire tree," Martin's staff wrote. "Our office does not have the capability to compel your neighbors to take down the tree." The "take matters into your own hands" advice when it comes to tree branches crossing property lines doesn't always work out. CBS News Chicago covered a similar overbearing tree story in 2021. In that case, Roula Savakis of Chicago's Peterson Park community was so frustrated with a wall of trees blocking her windows that she hacked them back. In response, her neighbors took her to court, alleging at least $100,000 of damage. Asher and Cynthia Kohn accused Savakis of violating the Illinois Wrongful Tree Cutting Act. They claimed she damaged 38 of their trees intentionally and illegally. Four years later, CBS News Chicago has learned that the Savakis family ended up selling their home to the tree-owning neighbors and relocating. In Lincoln Square, as Jane's dog Brutus went hunting for mulberry-loving rats, CBS News Chicago went looking for the tree owners. Jane and two plant experts suspect the tree is a white mulberry. "Interestingly, white mulberry was introduced to the U.S. back in colonial times because it is the preferred food of the silkworm caterpillar, which is where we get natural silk from," said Jamie Viebach, horticulture educator at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Viebach said while white mulberry is not officially listed as an invasive species in Illinois, it is non-native and very weedy. "It can basically be considered invasive (though, without the legal ramifications of the official designation)," Viebach wrote. And the tree is treated as invasive by some land managers. "It is not regulated or banned in any statewide way in Illinois, though it is often managed and removed by land managers when it is found growing in natural areas," said Chris Evans, an extension forestry and research specialist at the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Viebach also noted that the Morton Arboretum lists white mulberry as a "problem plant." Jane agrees with the description. "This is a health issue right now," she said. "This is a safety issue." CBS News Chicago knocked on the neighbors' door, but never got an answer. The city can issue citations to homeowners whose vegetation creates a "public nuisance." CBS News Chicago was told that while Savakis' situation with her neighbors' trees in 2021 met the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation criteria for a public nuisance, Jane's berry situation does not meet those criteria and does not warrant any fines. The city said the following constitutes a nuisance per ordinance 10-32-140 (Trees, shrubs or other plant materials – Public nuisance):
CBS News
a day ago
- General
- CBS News
Chicago woman is fit to be tied with rotting berries falling from neighbors' tree
A woman from Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood said a giant tree's sweet berries are causing a sour situation. The woman, Jane, said she was looking for someone finally to listen to her concerns. "That's why I chose to contact Channel 2 News," she said. "I need someone to listen to me." Jane never fancied herself a farmer. But for the last 28 summers, she has gotten quite the haul of rotten berries landing in her backyard. CBS News Chicago met Jane as she was clad in blue jeans and a T-shirt honoring the old Neo nightclub in Lincoln Park, scooping rotten berries out of nets hanging between garages on her property and collecting them in plastic bags. The daily harvests add up. "Since I've been gathering them and weighing them, since June 14, I'm over 215 pounds of berries," Jane said, "just this year." There are more rotten berries beyond the nets. Even more are piled up on the ground and nearby garages — and they're not suitable for people to eat. "You can't use these for cooking. You can't use these for donating to anybody," Jane said. Instead, the berries make a delicious meal for all sorts of members of the animal kingdom — pigeons, bees, fruit flies — and most frustratingly, rats. Jane snapped photos of her hungry, hairy visitors of the order Rodentia. One momma rat was spotted carrying her baby as she stopped for a snack earlier this month. "There is rat feces everywhere," Jane said. It has made for an unsanitary, slippery, smelly situation. "It's something like old beer, fermented wine," said Jane. The berries fall for about six weeks straight, and end up rolling around in the nets and on the ground. Jane can't control the decaying fruit, because it is not coming from her yard. It is coming from a gigantic mulberry tree on her neighbor's property. The tree in question is so big that some of its branches are held up with metal. "If we get a sudden downburst, that chain's not going to hold anything," Jane said. Jane shared concerns with Ald. Matt Martin (47th), but was told the city can't do much because the tree is on privately owned land. "It is your right to take down the branches that encroach on your property line, but I know you mentioned the problem is with the entire tree," Martin's staff wrote. "Our office does not have the capability to compel your neighbors to take down the tree." The take-matters-into-your-own hands advice when it comes to tree branches crossing property lines doesn't always work out. CBS News Chicago covered a similar overbearing tree story in 2021. In that instance, Roula Savakis of Chicago's Peterson Park community was so frustrated with a wall of trees blocking her windows that she hacked them back. In response, her neighbors took her to court, alleging at least $100,000 of damage. Asher and Cynthia Kohn accused Savakis of violating the Illinois Wrongful Tree Cutting Act. They claimed she damaged 38 of their trees intentionally and illegally. Four years later, CBS News Chicago has learned that the Savakis family ended up selling their home to the tree-owning neighbors and relocating. Back in Lincoln Square — as Jane's dog, Brutus, went hunting for mulberry-loving rats — CBS News Chicago went looking for the tree owners. Jane and two plant experts suspect the tree is a white mulberry. "Interestingly, white mulberry was introduced to the U.S. back in colonial times because it is the preferred food of the silkworm caterpillar, which is where we get natural silk from," said Jamie Viebach, horticulture educator at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Viebach said while white mulberry is not officially listed as an invasive species in Illinois, it is non-native and very weedy. "It can basically be considered invasive (though, without the legal ramifications of the official designation)," Viebach wrote. The tree is treated as invasive by some land managers. "It is not regulated or banned in any statewide way in Illinois, though it is often managed and removed by land managers when it is found growing in natural areas," said Chris Evans, an extension forestry and research specialist at the Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences at the U of I Urbana-Champaign. Viebach also noted that the white mulberry is a species the Morton Arboretum lists as a "problem plant." Such a description sounds fitting to Jane. "This is a health issue right now," Jane said. "This is a safety issue." Berry season will be wrapped up in a few days. Will farmer Jane be back at it next year with another season of falling berries? CBS News Chicago knocked on the neighbors' door, but never got an answer. The city can issue citations to homeowners whose vegetation creates a "public nuisance." CBS News Chicago was told that while Savakis' situation with her neighbors' trees in 2021 met the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation criteria for a public nuisance, Jane's berry situation does not meet those criteria and does not warrant any fines. The city said the following constitutes a nuisance per ordinance 10-32-140 Trees, shrubs or other plant materials – Public nuisance:
